oBlog » Mollie Carterhttps://www.odesk.com/blog
oDesk - The Future of WorkMon, 02 Mar 2015 16:35:18 +0000en-UShourly1What’s New: Blocked Invitations and a Saved Jobs Featurehttps://www.odesk.com/blog/2014/06/whats-new-blocked-invitations-and-a-saved-jobs-feature/
https://www.odesk.com/blog/2014/06/whats-new-blocked-invitations-and-a-saved-jobs-feature/#commentsTue, 10 Jun 2014 17:24:14 +0000https://www.odesk.com/blog/?p=32631This time around we’re excited to announce that freelancers, we heard you! By popular request, we have launched two features that should make your lives on oDesk easier: the ability to block future client invitations and an option to save jobs to apply to later.

This time around we’re excited to announce that freelancers, we heard you! By popular request, we have launched two features that should make your lives on oDesk easier: the ability to block future client invitations and an option to save jobs to apply to later.

Block Invitations:

Freelancers, you now have the ability to prevent a client from sending you any invitations in the future. This change should help reduce clutter in your inbox.

To use this feature, decline an invitation and check the box at the bottom of the dialog window that says, “Block this client from sending me any future invitations”:

Note that you can always undo a block by accessing the invite in your archive and unchecking the box.

Save Jobs:

You can now save a job you’re interested in and apply to it later:

To access your saved jobs, go to the new Saved Jobs tab in your menu bar. We’ll automatically clear any closed jobs to help keep your list up-to-date and fresh.

We hope these features help you work more happily and productively on oDesk!

To make sure you don’t miss a What’s New post, subscribe to the RSS feed by using the blue icon on the top right corner of the blog. You can also go to the Help & Community drop-down while logged into oDesk to see if a new post is available.

And, as always, we value your feedback and discussion and we welcome you to join the conversation on the forum.

]]>https://www.odesk.com/blog/2014/06/whats-new-blocked-invitations-and-a-saved-jobs-feature/feed/0What’s New: Clearer Language Featureshttps://www.odesk.com/blog/2014/05/whats-new-clearer-language-features/
https://www.odesk.com/blog/2014/05/whats-new-clearer-language-features/#commentsWed, 28 May 2014 17:26:30 +0000https://www.odesk.com/blog/?p=32518Previously, freelancers had to add any non-English languages as skills, with no way to indicate their proficiency. Now, you can represent all your language abilities in the same way, in the same place, specifying your level of expertise for each. We’ve even made the language rating system more clear. Instead of rating your fluency on a scale of 1-5, which was confusing for both freelancers and clients, you can now indicate your level of expertise for each language on a more descriptive scale.

]]>Good morning, oDeskers, and welcome to another installment of the What’s New blog. This week we’re excited to tell you that we’ve made it easier than ever for you to represent language abilities on your profile.

Previously, freelancers had to add any non-English languages as skills, with no way to indicate their proficiency. Now, you can represent all your language abilities in the same way, in the same place, specifying your level of expertise for each.

We’ve even made the language rating system more clear. Instead of rating your fluency on a scale of 1-5, which was confusing for both freelancers and clients, you can now indicate your level of expertise for each language on the following descriptive scale:

Basic – only able to communicate through written communication

Conversational – comfortable enough to have a verbal discussion

Fluent – complete command of this language with perfect grammar

Native – complete command of this language with no discernable accent

This new system is a simpler, more complete, and more accurate way to communicate your language abilities to clients and for clients to see and understand your complete profile.

You will be able to access this feature in your profile editor, where you can now see and update all your language information in one place. All your languages and levels of proficiency will be shown in the right rail of your profile.

To make sure you don’t miss a What’s New post, subscribe to the RSS feed by using the blue icon on the top right corner of the blog. You can also go to the Help & Community drop-down while logged into oDesk to see if a new post is available.

And, as always, we value your feedback and discussion and we welcome you to join the conversation on the forum.

]]>https://www.odesk.com/blog/2014/05/whats-new-clearer-language-features/feed/0What’s new: Certificate of Earnings Statements, Same-Day Rehires, and Hiring from the Message Centerhttps://www.odesk.com/blog/2014/04/whats-new-certificate-of-earnings-statements-same-day-rehires-and-hiring-from-the-message-center/
https://www.odesk.com/blog/2014/04/whats-new-certificate-of-earnings-statements-same-day-rehires-and-hiring-from-the-message-center/#commentsThu, 10 Apr 2014 18:48:17 +0000https://www.odesk.com/blog/?p=32131Good morning, oDeskers! We’re excited to tell you about the latest updates from the oDesk product team: Certificate of Earnings statements, Same-Day Rehires, and an option to hire right from the message center. Certificate of Earnings Statements: This feature enables all freelancers and agency owners to create a PDF record of their recent earnings to […]

]]>Good morning, oDeskers! We’re excited to tell you about the latest updates from the oDesk product team: Certificate of Earnings statements, Same-Day Rehires, and an option to hire right from the message center.

Certificate of Earnings Statements:

This feature enables all freelancers and agency owners to create a PDF record of their recent earnings to accommodate any banking requests, loan needs, or employment verifications.

To access these statements, just go to “Reports,” click on “More Reports,” and then select “Certificate of Earnings” to generate a downloadable PDF.

Same-Day ReHires – A Smoother Workflow:

We understand that long-term contracts are subject to changes along the way, and the lag time between the previous and new contracts can affect both deadlines and routine tasks. You can now end and then start a contract with your freelancer on the same day, ensuring a smoother workflow and a hassle-free transition for your freelancers.

Hiring Directly from the Message Center:

Whether you’re corresponding with a new freelancer or one you’ve previously worked with, you can now hire them directly from the message center without going back to their application. This improvement may be small, but we’re aiming to make our platform as easy and intuitive as possible!

To make sure you don’t miss a What’s New post, subscribe to the RSS feed by using the blue icon on the top right corner of the blog. You can also go to the Help & Community drop-down while logged into oDesk to see if a new post is available.

And, as always, we value your feedback and discussion and we welcome you to join the conversation on the forum.

]]>https://www.odesk.com/blog/2014/04/whats-new-certificate-of-earnings-statements-same-day-rehires-and-hiring-from-the-message-center/feed/0What’s New: Project Portfolios and Private Inviteshttps://www.odesk.com/blog/2014/03/whats-new-project-portfolios-private-invites/
https://www.odesk.com/blog/2014/03/whats-new-project-portfolios-private-invites/#commentsMon, 10 Mar 2014 12:00:46 +0000https://www.odesk.com/blog/?p=31851This week on oDesk, a more powerful way for clients to see freelancers’ portfolios and a redesigned invite process to increase invites to high quality jobs.

We’re here to report on our most recent set of improvements to the oDesk platform.

The two items on today’s agenda: a more powerful way for clients to view freelancers’ portfolios and a redesigned invite process to increase invites to high quality jobs.

Project Portfolios: All Your Work, Right at a Clients’ Fingertips

Freelancers can now create project-based portfolios with multiple attachments and much more helpful information about past jobs. With this new viewer, clients have a powerful tool to quickly assess a freelancer’s past work. For each project they can see full descriptions, the role the freelancer played, and view several images of the work. Clients will also get a sneak peak of the portfolio in their freelancer search results. The new design will look like this:

Private Invites: Easier Than Ever for Clients to Find Great Freelancers

Many oDesk clients prefer to invite freelancers to their jobs–especially when they require specific skill sets–and many freelancers depend on these invites to find their next job.

A couple of weeks ago we shared news of how we’re reducing spam invites by reviewing all job posts before invites are sent out. Today we are excited to share that we’ve improved the whole invite process.

The new flow gives clients a more intuitive way to post a job and invite freelancers to apply to that job–all in one step. The new process will improve job descriptions, increase the number of clients inviting freelancers to their jobs, and, when combined with the queued invitations, continue to decrease spam.

Both of these features are rolling out over the next few weeks, so if you don’t see them now, you will soon!

To make sure you don’t miss a What’s New post, subscribe to the RSS feed by using the blue icon on the top right corner of this blog. You can also go to the Help & Community drop-down while logged into oDesk to see if a new post is available.

And, as always, we value your feedback and discussion and we welcome you to join the conversation on the forum.

Here we are once again with more exciting additions to your virtual office.

The items on today’s list include a brand new payments homepage for freelancers and a Queued Invitations feature to reduce spam job invites.

The New Freelancer Reporting Homepage: Track All Your Payments In One Place

Knowing exactly where your payments are in the payment cycle is naturally a key concern for all freelancers. To answer your common questions and provide all payment-related info on one consolidated screen, we’re happy to announce the New Freelancer Reporting Homepage! The page is rolling out over the next couple weeks, so if you don’t see it now, you will soon!

From the Reports tab, you can now track all payments on individual tabs that reflect different stages of the payment cycle. You can find more information about payments by hovering, and yellow flags show you the breakdown of manual time. All your existing reports are still available in this new interface.

Queued Invitations: A Safer, Spam-Free Marketplace

We are super-excited to announce our latest feature—Queued Invitations. While all new job posts go through a standard security review before going live on the marketplace, previously invites to a job were sent out immediately. This resulted in users getting invites to jobs that were later removed by our Marketplace Quality team. Now, invitations sent out by a client will be queued for about 20 minutes until the job post clears our security review. This will help keep spam at bay, allowing freelancers to focus on high-quality invitations and the exciting job opportunities they present.

To make sure you don’t miss a What’s New post, subscribe to the RSS feed by using the blue icon on the top right corner of the blog. You can also go to the Help & Community drop-down while logged into oDesk to see if a new post is available.

And, as always, we value your feedback and discussion and we welcome you to join the conversation on the forum.

]]>https://www.odesk.com/blog/2014/02/whats-new-freelancer-reporting-homepage-queued-invitations/feed/1What’s New: The All-Star Freelancer Club & Easier Management Toolshttps://www.odesk.com/blog/2014/02/whats-new-the-all-star-freelancer-club-easier-management-tools/
https://www.odesk.com/blog/2014/02/whats-new-the-all-star-freelancer-club-easier-management-tools/#commentsThu, 06 Feb 2014 22:49:10 +0000https://www.odesk.com/blog/?p=31069We are back with more exciting news to share! This week we are launching more useful features to make your online work and career more successful and stress-free. Read on for more!

We are back with more exciting news to share! This week we are launching more handy features to make your online work more successful and stress-free.

For our freelancers we have the All-Star Freelancer Club in beta, and we’ve added Video Profiles to help freelancers market themselves more effectively to potential clients.

And for clients, you now have a new tool in your arsenal to connect with current and past hires.

All-Star Freelancer Club: Celebrating Success!

As announced on Monday, we’re excited to share the news about our new beta program—The All-Star Freelancer Club. Our top freelancers will now get exclusive perks for being the superstars that they are. There are three clubs based on the dollar value earned or average hours worked in the past three months: the Gold Club, the Silver Club and the Bronze Club.

Show Them What You’ve Got with Video Profiles

Trust is a major factor when hiring online. With the new Video Profile option, you can add a short video to your public profile. This way, you can give potential clients a glimpse of your personality and English language proficiency to build trust and increase your chances of landing more jobs.

Search and Connect with Your Freelancers

It’s now easier than ever for clients to connect with their freelancers. We have added a search box to your My Freelancers tab to quickly find past and current hires.

To make sure you don’t miss a What’s New post, subscribe to the RSS feed by using the blue icon on the top right corner of the blog. You can also go to the Help & Community drop down while logged into oDesk to see if a new post is available.

And, as always, we value your feedback and discussion and we welcome you to join the conversation on the forum.

]]>https://www.odesk.com/blog/2014/02/whats-new-the-all-star-freelancer-club-easier-management-tools/feed/0What’s New: Be the First to Know About New Features and Updateshttps://www.odesk.com/blog/2014/01/whats-new-first-know-new-features-updates/
https://www.odesk.com/blog/2014/01/whats-new-first-know-new-features-updates/#commentsWed, 29 Jan 2014 16:07:48 +0000https://www.odesk.com/blog/?p=30900Introducing the What's New blog posts to keep you updated on new features and changes. This week we review handy search filters and the Feedback Response feature that replaces Hidden feedback comments. Read on for more...

We hope that the new year has started well for all of you. Here at oDesk we continue to work hard to provide the best online workplace for you to grow your career and business.

We understand that the changes we make to provide you a better service impact the way you work and use this platform. To keep you informed on what’s new, we will be doing regular posts on this blog with updates on new tools and features.

Keep in mind, many of the new features we will share are still being tested with small numbers of users and you may not see them right away. However, we want to ensure you know what we’re working on and have a chance to provide your feedback.

So. . . what’s new this week? The latest features added include a brand new feedback response feature and some handy search filters.

More Transparency with Feedback Response:

Hidden feedback comments withhold important performance information from future clients and make it harder to identify the highest performers. To rectify this, we are replacing the ability to hide feedback comments with a feedback response option: The freelancer and client now get a chance to post a “response” to a feedback comment left on their profile.

Since this is obviously a sensitive area, we are starting with a small set of users, and will roll this out to all users in a couple of weeks. Learn more here.

Hone your Search with New Filters:

Search plays a pivotal role in finding the right job or freelancer. We have added filters to improve your search experience. Freelancers can now filter jobs based on the experience level required – either Entry, Intermediate or Expert. Applying to jobs that match your experience level will naturally put you at an advantage among other applicants.

For clients we have added a country based filter. It’s something clients have asked for, but we’ve been concerned it may needlessly narrow clients’ recruiting prospects for the majority of jobs where location is not a critical factor. We are testing to see if this filter helps.

There’s also a new job based search option for clients which will give you recommended freelancers based on your job post.

To get the latest news, you can find a link to these “What’s New” blog posts in the top right corner while logged into your oDesk account under Help & Community. You will see a notification in this drop down whenever there’s a new post.

To make sure you don’t miss a new post, you can subscribe to the RSS feed by using the blue icon on the top right corner of this blog.

And, as always, we value your feedback and discussion and we welcome you to join the conversation on the forum.

]]>https://www.odesk.com/blog/2014/01/whats-new-first-know-new-features-updates/feed/0Code Your Way to California: oDesk’s First Coding Challenge Attracts Top Developers From Russia and Ukrainehttps://www.odesk.com/blog/2013/11/code-your-way-to-california-odesk-coding-challenge/
https://www.odesk.com/blog/2013/11/code-your-way-to-california-odesk-coding-challenge/#commentsFri, 01 Nov 2013 17:37:37 +0000https://www.odesk.com/blog/?p=30060At 11:00 am MSK on Saturday, October 19th, over one thousand developers across Russia and Ukraine entered oDesk’s Coding Challenge. Participants had four hours to solve two puzzles, choosing from a list of 15 coding languages. Both experienced oDesk developers and those new to oDesk came out in large numbers for the chance to demonstrate their skills to prospective clients; we had created an exclusive developer group on oDesk open only to the top performers. But they were also vying for the grand prize—a trip to Silicon Valley and an in-person interview with oDesk.

At 11:00 am MSK on Saturday, October 19th, over one thousand developers across Russia and Ukraine entered oDesk’s Coding Challenge. Participants had four hours to solve two puzzles, choosing from a list of 15 coding languages.

Both experienced oDesk developers and those new to oDesk came out in large numbers for the chance to demonstrate their skills to prospective clients; we had created an exclusive developer group on oDesk open only to the top performers. But they were also vying for the grand prize—a trip to Silicon Valley and an in-person interview with oDesk.

Serhiy Bardakov, an experienced oDesk developer, said that in addition to the two reasons mentioned above, he competed because he was excited to test his skills against other top developers. “I like solving complex problems,” he told us, “and of course it is always fun to compete with other professionals.”

Whatever their reason for participating, the overall performance of the participants was impressive. Many developers—including Serhiy—aced the contest, with more than 100 developers receiving a perfect score. The top performers were invited to join oDesk’s Coding Challenge group, which is being promoted to oDesk clients with open jobs for developers— helping to connect skilled developers with clients who need their expertise.

To tease out a single winner from this group of top performers, we considered time spent completing the challenge as well as the quality of the code. After carefully reviewing these criteria, we selected Andrew Shulayev as the winner. “I was shocked when I heard the news,” he said. “I’ve never been to the USA before and I’m excited to make the trip.”

While in California, Andrew will receive a guided tour of Silicon Valley tech companies, including oDesk. He will also interview on-site for a spot on oDesk’s engineering team. “I’m really looking forward to going through the interview process and exploring a place where lots of now-famous Internet companies were founded,” he told us.

Many other high-performing developers—while not traveling to California just yet—are benefiting from the increased exposure to global companies brought on by the contest. Kuzma Kudim, for example, received two job invites from oDesk as a result of his strong performance. He says he chooses to work on oDesk because the platform makes it easy to compare earnings and expectations for a wide variety of jobs in one place. He also likes the flexibility: “I had two full-time programming positions before, but I prefer freelancing because of the freedom,” he said.

Serhiy, who is also a member of the Coding Challenge Champs group, agrees that the freedom to choose where, when and for whom he works is a major benefit of being a freelance developer on oDesk. He explains, “What I like most is the flexibility, including the flexibility in projects, time and earnings. Most of my clients on oDesk are very understanding, so I get to set my own hours. I also like being able to choose which projects I work on. For example, I can work in new areas to grow my skills for lower rates. Or, I can work on well-paid projects in areas in which I have a lot of expertise.”

Congratulations to all the developers who participated in the oDesk Coding Challenge!

Want to learn more about the Coding Challenge Champs or the types of jobs that are available for developers on oDesk? Check out the Coding Challenge Champs group here or explore open developer jobs here. Itching for the chance to compete? Stay tuned for future announcements about coding contests in your area!

]]>https://www.odesk.com/blog/2013/11/code-your-way-to-california-odesk-coding-challenge/feed/0Managing an Online Team: The Top 3 Best Practices From oDesk Proshttps://www.odesk.com/blog/2013/08/managing-an-online-team-the-top-3-best-practices-from-odesk-pros/
https://www.odesk.com/blog/2013/08/managing-an-online-team-the-top-3-best-practices-from-odesk-pros/#commentsThu, 29 Aug 2013 16:36:00 +0000https://www.odesk.com/blog/?p=29493Despite their rapid growth in adoption, flexible work strategies are still in their infancy—which means there are few widely known best practices on hiring and managing an online team. But we consider ourselves lucky—we have a whole community of oDeskers who are seasoned online work experts, ready and willing to share their wisdom. And with that in mind, we are happy to introduce our all-new Client Resource Center, made possible by the many inspiring stories and best practices from some of our favorite users. In the Client Resource Center, you’ll find inspirational stories, client videos, and our free eBook, which all feature proven tips from real-life oDesk clients. But here you can get a sneak peek into 3 of their best pieces of advice.

]]>From remote work to distributed teams, from online work to work-from-home, flexible work strategies are core to today’s discussions about talent management, employee engagement, and organizational structure. But despite their rapid growth in adoption, these flexible work strategies are still in their infancy—which means there are few widely known best practices on hiring and managing an online team.

But we consider ourselves lucky—we have a whole community of oDeskers who are seasoned online work experts, ready and willing to share their wisdom. And with that in mind, we are happy to introduce our all-new Client Resource Center, made possible by the many inspiring stories and best practices from some of our favorite users.

In addition to providing practical tips on how to attract, hire and manage top talent online, the resource center profiles many oDesk clients who have found great success with online work. Of course, there is no single recipe for success. But by bringing to light different strategies for harnessing the potential of online work, these clients’ experiences provide guidance for those looking to learn more about online work.

In the Client Resource Center, you’ll find inspirational stories, client videos, and our free eBook, which all feature proven tips from real-life oDesk clients. But here you can get a sneak peek into 3 of their best pieces of advice.

Chris offers useful advice on how to attract the best talent, hire the right person, and get to work. His first tip is to take your job description seriously. He explains that he used to throw his problems up on oDesk and hope that someone would swoop in with all of the answers. Using this tactic he found a lot of well-meaning contractors that were ultimately unable to help him. Drawing from his experiences, he has found that it’s crucial to “lay out very clearly exactly what you’re looking for and what the expectations are.”

Learning the importance of setting clear expectations has enabled Chris to effectively use online work to grow his company, Portland Marketing Analytics. He explains that since he founded the company in 2009, his revenue has grown every year and his company is on track to become a multi-million dollar company this year. “I couldn’t have done it without the support of oDesk contractors,” he says.

2) Adam Neary, founder and CEO of Activecell: Seek out specialists.

For Adam, the real benefit of oDesk has been the ability to find and hire specialists. Before turning to oDesk, he spent the vast majority of his venture capital money with little success. In a final attempt to save his business, he turned to online work and got amazing results. He explains, “Instead of having 6 generalists in New York City, we found a ton of specialists on oDesk. It has been huge for us.”

Key to his success with building a remote workforce was learning to take advantage of the “pick and choose” nature of online work. Adam explained, “I discovered a labor market where very talented people are available for an hour or full time if you need them. It’s like this little buffet, and you can build exactly what you need.” Today, customers and investors alike are thrilled with Activecell’s product, and Adam plans to
continue using this new staffing model to grow his business.

On one hand, online work enables managers to completely reshape their staffing models to best suit their needs. However, in other respects, online management is quite similar to managing workers in person. Austin, for example, explains that the basic principles of good leadership—like treating workers well—still apply to remote teams. Given that people work better if they feel appreciated, Adam’s advice is simple: “Don’t be a jerk.”

Through following his own advice, Austin’s company Bright Newt—a thriving marketing, branding and app development firm—has done great work for clients far and wide. He has built lasting relationships with his freelancers and continues to receive excellent work in exchange for treating his virtual workers as important members of his team.

Want to learn more about successful online management strategies? Visit our Client Resource Center and check out our free eBook. And don’t forget to share your own online work best practices in the comment section below!

]]>https://www.odesk.com/blog/2013/08/managing-an-online-team-the-top-3-best-practices-from-odesk-pros/feed/3“Straight-Shootin’” Insights from oDesk’s Events in Texashttps://www.odesk.com/blog/2012/10/straight-shootin-insights-from-odesks-events-in-texas/
https://www.odesk.com/blog/2012/10/straight-shootin-insights-from-odesks-events-in-texas/#commentsThu, 18 Oct 2012 15:45:07 +0000https://www.odesk.com/blog/?p=26589The oDesk team recently traveled down to the thriving startup hub of Austin, Texas, to host both a client user group and a Contractor Appreciation Day (and to have some really great barbecue). We met with an extremely entrepreneurial and passionate group of both clients and contractors, who had some great insights to share about how to build a business on oDesk. Here were the top three highlights.

]]>The oDesk team recently traveled down to the thriving startup hub of Austin, Texas, to host both a client user group and a Contractor Appreciation Day (and to have some really great barbecue). We met with an extremely entrepreneurial and passionate group of both clients and contractors, who had some great insights to share about how to build a business on oDesk. Here were the top three highlights:

1. Use all the tools at your disposal to make hiring and managing as successful as possible.

When it comes to hiring, panelist Govind Davis—CEO of MCF Technology Solutions—advised clients to pay attention to information like work history, ratings, and skills test, to filter potential candidates. Clients can then further refine the list and identify the best people by interviewing them through Skype.

As for managing, several clients recommended utilizing oDesk teams and task codes to stay organized. Other suggestions included using a global cloud service such as Amazon Web Services, which can enable faster uploads by allowing contractors to have a local access point instead of needing to access a remote server, and OneLogin, a password management system that can help ensure contractors have the access they need for important sites and services.

2. Have realistic expectations and stay a step ahead.

Jack Miller, CTO at The Good Life, advised businesses not to treat online work as a “magical solution” to staffing issues, as these expectations can result in disappointment. Instead, Jack recommended, “Think about it as an effective way to hire people to quickly. Give yourself time to do it, treat it as a skill, and find good contractors.”

Along the same lines, businesses were advised to stay a step ahead, to avoid getting into a situation where they have a critical project and are unsure if a contractor will deliver. Experienced users recommended that clients develop a trusted relationship with one or two contractors before they have a critical project they need done, to ensure that when crunch time comes, they are ready.

3. Clearly communicate at all stages to build trust and work as partners.

Both clients and contractors reinforced the importance of clear and frequent communication to getting the best possible result. Contractors noted that they are able to do their best work when they are clear on the project’s background, deliverables, and expectations; one contractor even noted that clarity on those topics is a key criteria when selecting which jobs she applies to.

For clients, this means that defining the project and providing as much information as possible will not only result in more qualified candidates, but more successful results. For contractors, the key takeaway was that if the client is having trouble defining requirements, contributing your expertise to help them think through this process is a win-win for both parties.

Both clients and contractors expressed that long-term relationships are the ideal, and that those relationships cannot develop or exist without trust. For contractors, this means not only delivering consistently high-quality results on time, but also being a trusted partner—working with the client to strategize, over-communicating about deliverables, and even sharing a project management system with the client so they are as informed and involved as possible during the process.

Overall, we had a great time meeting our Texas clients and contractors, and getting a firsthand look into the city’s thriving startup community—a great model for a startup ecosystem that is very tight-knit, where everyone goes the extra mile to help each other. In particular, Capital Factory—the coworking space and accelerator where we held the events—and Conjunctured, a coworking community we visited with, are great examples of how Austin is nurturing its startups.

Most of all, it was extremely valuable to hear users’ perspective on both best practices and areas where oDesk can improve. We are looking forward to hosting similar events in the future!

Do you have any best practices to share about building your business through oDesk? We would love to hear them! Please add them to the comments section below.

]]>https://www.odesk.com/blog/2012/10/straight-shootin-insights-from-odesks-events-in-texas/feed/1Introducing the oDesk Skills Dictionaryhttps://www.odesk.com/blog/2011/12/odesk-skills-dictionary-right-words-to-land-the-right-jobs/
https://www.odesk.com/blog/2011/12/odesk-skills-dictionary-right-words-to-land-the-right-jobs/#commentsThu, 08 Dec 2011 02:37:40 +0000http://www.odesk.com/blog/?p=18373As a contractor, you are always trying to make a great impression on potential employers. The right words matter in making that impression, so we’re thrilled to announce the oDesk Skills Dictionary — a comprehensive list of standardized skills on oDesk. Standardization helps ensure you find and receive the most relevant jobs for your experience […]

]]>As a contractor, you are always trying to make a great impression on potential employers. The right words matter in making that impression, so we’re thrilled to announce the oDesk Skills Dictionary — a comprehensive list of standardized skills on oDesk.

Standardization helps ensure you find and receive the most relevant jobs for your experience and expertise by ensuring everyone is using the same terms for the skills they are searching on. This diminishes any cultural and language obstacles encountered when selecting skills on oDesk, and removes the need to list multiple versions of the same skill (“PHP, PHP programmer, PHP developer, PHP expert,” etc.).

As a testament to how important your skills are, they are now showcased at the top of the new contractor profile. Updating your skills will allow you to best take advantage of the new profile design, so make sure you do so. Read more about the new contractor profile here.

How it Works

When selecting skills for your profile, begin typing your skill, then choose from the available suggestions.

Newly registered contractors are already taking advantage of the new system.

For existing contractors, we will guide you through the process of updating your skills. The next time you log in to oDesk, you will be directed to a list of suggested skills from the oDesk Skills Dictionary, based on the ones currently listed on your profile. You will then have until January 13, 2012, to verify the suggestions, rank the skills, and approve your own custom list. The changes will go live on your profile after you complete the transition form. Starting January 13, all matched skills will be transitioned and any remaining non-standardized skills will be removed from profiles.

The new profile style has phased out skills descriptions and experience information. You may want to make a copy of these descriptions for your own records before updating your skills (to do so, press the View Skills button in the profile editor). For contractors who do not complete the transition form, the descriptions we remove will be sent to you in an email for future reference, as you may wish to put this information in your profile objective, or include it in cover letters when applying for jobs.

FAQs:

What should I do if I cannot find a skill in the Skills Dictionary? How can I add a skill? Don’t worry — there is likely a similar skill already listed in the Dictionary, and suggesting a new one is easy.

How is the Skills Dictionary used within oDesk? It is used to help you attract the right jobs by using the right words.

How will the skills appear in my profile? Take a look at an community forum.

]]>https://www.odesk.com/blog/2011/12/odesk-skills-dictionary-right-words-to-land-the-right-jobs/feed/0New on oDesk: Streamlined Contractor Profileshttps://www.odesk.com/blog/2011/12/streamlined_profiles/
https://www.odesk.com/blog/2011/12/streamlined_profiles/#commentsThu, 08 Dec 2011 01:51:29 +0000http://www.odesk.com/blog/?p=19304Today we are really excited to announce a brand new design for contractor profile pages! The contractor profile is at the heart of oDesk. Employers depend on it to assess the capabilities of any contractor, and contractors depend on it to attract employers and grow their careers. Knowing how important the contractor profile is, we […]

]]>Today we are really excited to announce a brand new design for contractor profile pages!

The contractor profile is at the heart of oDesk. Employers depend on it to assess the capabilities of any contractor, and contractors depend on it to attract employers and grow their careers.

Knowing how important the contractor profile is, we have redesigned it to be more useful and intuitive. The new design presents all key information in one clean, streamlined page; this makes it easier for employers to assess the capabilities of contractors, and for contractors to showcase information they want employers to see.

Here are some of the highlights of this new design:

One simple page. All key profile information is now on a single page.

Skills are at the top. Employers often look to the skills section first to determine if the contractor would be a good fit for the position. We are also standardizing skills across oDesk to make it even easier for employers to identify the right contractor for the job. Contractors: make sure to update your skills so you can get the most out of the new contractor profile design. Read more about transitioning your skills here.

Cleaner, modern design. It’s easier to read, and we’ve removed extraneous information so employers can focus in on what’s most important to them.

Check out the new profile design today, and share your thoughts about it with the oDesk community.

]]>https://www.odesk.com/blog/2011/12/streamlined_profiles/feed/0The New oDesk Site — Online Work at Your Fingertipshttps://www.odesk.com/blog/2011/11/the-new-odesk-site/
https://www.odesk.com/blog/2011/11/the-new-odesk-site/#commentsThu, 17 Nov 2011 02:15:47 +0000http://www.odesk.com/blog/?p=18539Today we are very excited to announce the launch of oDesk’s brand new navigation and site design! We have been transitioning to this new look for several months, and we have received great feedback from our users. The site is designed to be more intuitive, highlighting the most important features by displaying them front and […]

]]>Today we are very excited to announce the launch of oDesk’s brand new navigation and site design! We have been transitioning to this new look for several months, and we have received great feedback from our users. The site is designed to be more intuitive, highlighting the most important features by displaying them front and center. The new design also gives us the flexibility to continuously improve the site to meet our users’ needs.

Find Jobs. Found under the “Find Work” tab, this is your home page when looking for work. Get the latest status on your job applications, search for job opportunities that fit your skills, and easily update your profile.

My Jobs. This is your home page when doing client work. Check all your active contracts, track your time billed this week, and see total earnings available to withdraw.

For employers:

Job Postings. Found under the “Recruit” tab, this is your home page for finding the perfect person for your project. See all your open jobs and the latest activity, easily post a new job, and search for the right contractor.

My Contractors. Found under the “Manage My Team” tab, this is your home page for managing contractors. Track who is currently working or see the last time they worked, view total hours billed this week, and see upcoming payments.

If you have feedback about the new site, we want to hear it! Please visit our community forum to share your thoughts.

]]>https://www.odesk.com/blog/2011/11/the-new-odesk-site/feed/0New tools to manage your applicant list and find your best candidateshttps://www.odesk.com/blog/2011/09/manage-your-applicant-list/
https://www.odesk.com/blog/2011/09/manage-your-applicant-list/#commentsTue, 13 Sep 2011 17:20:13 +0000http://www.odesk.com/blog/?p=17598It’s exciting to receive a lot of applicants to your job. But, then you need to turn your attention to figuring out who is the best fit for your job. And, the more applicants you have, the harder this can be. We’ve learned that most employers at oDesk do a quick, initial assessment of […]

]]>It’s exciting to receive a lot of applicants to your job. But, then you need to turn your attention to figuring out who is the best fit for your job. And, the more applicants you have, the harder this can be. We’ve learned that most employers at oDesk do a quick, initial assessment of each applicant, shorten their list to their top candidates, and then review their shortlist in more detail. To make this process easier, we’ve added some new tools.

If you have big applicant lists, we know list management is critical. Along with these new tools, you can also still decline applicants that are not right for your job, and flag applicants that aren’t appropriate.

We think these new tools will lead to easier list management and faster hires – which is good for employers and contractors. Let us know what you think, in our community forum.

]]>https://www.odesk.com/blog/2011/09/manage-your-applicant-list/feed/0Employers can now pay with PayPalhttps://www.odesk.com/blog/2011/08/paypal/
https://www.odesk.com/blog/2011/08/paypal/#commentsThu, 18 Aug 2011 04:08:05 +0000http://www.odesk.com/blog/?p=17238We have great news about your payment options. Whether you are in the U.S. or one of the many countries supported by PayPal, you can now use PayPal to pay for your work on oDesk! Here’s how it works: Use PayPal to pre-fund your oDesk account balance, with any amount you choose. Your balance is drawn […]

]]>We have great news about your payment options. Whether you are in the U.S. or one of the many countries supported by PayPal, you can now use PayPal to pay for your work on oDesk!

Here’s how it works:

Use PayPal to pre-fund your oDesk account balance, with any amount you choose.

Your balance is drawn down as you accrue charges.

Add to your balance at anytime.

Currently, PayPal is only available to U.S. or international employers with a verified credit card on file with oDesk. For U.S. employers, you will need either a PayPal linked bank account or PayPal balance to fund your payment. And, please note, payments are currently only accepted in USD.

]]>https://www.odesk.com/blog/2011/08/paypal/feed/0New for Employers – see custom contractor matcheshttps://www.odesk.com/blog/2011/07/contractor-matches/
https://www.odesk.com/blog/2011/07/contractor-matches/#commentsFri, 29 Jul 2011 00:38:51 +0000http://www.odesk.com/blog/?p=17098Want a little more help finding the right contractor? Employers, we’ve got a new offering tailored just for you. After you post a job on oDesk, if we find contractors that match the skills you’re looking for, we will present them to you for consideration. If you see someone you like in your short […]

]]>Want a little more help finding the right contractor? Employers, we’ve got a new offering tailored just for you. After you post a job on oDesk, if we find contractors that match the skills you’re looking for, we will present them to you for consideration. If you see someone you like in your short list, you can then easily invite them to apply to your job.

You don’t need to do anything special to see these matches, but your results will improve by writing a detailed job description. When you include specific skills in your job posting, we’ll instantly show you a list of well-qualified contractors with those skills. If you’re not sure you want to invite the resulting contractors to interview for your current job, you can save them to your Saved Contractors for later review, or move on to search for more contractors filtered by category, feedback, price or other criteria that matter to you.

This matching is intended to supplement your own detailed contractor search and evaluation, and will give you a jumpstart as additional contractors apply directly to your job.

Try posting a job today and see your customized list of contractor matches! If you have feedback, please visit our community forum to share your thoughts.

______

Note, if you are an oDesk contractor, you can improve your chances of being shown in these custom matches! Be sure your profile is up-to-date and includes the specific skills supported by your portfolio and work history. Learn more on our forum post for contractors. This is one more way we are working to match you up with the jobs that suit your skills, and introduce new employers to qualified contractors like you!

]]>https://www.odesk.com/blog/2011/07/contractor-matches/feed/0New For Employers – My Contractors Hubhttps://www.odesk.com/blog/2011/07/manage-home/
https://www.odesk.com/blog/2011/07/manage-home/#commentsWed, 06 Jul 2011 22:05:30 +0000http://www.odesk.com/blog/?p=16622Last week we released a new navigation scheme and shared with you our plans for creating a new platform that promises to personalize your oDesk experience and deliver more successful online work relationships. The initial step in these plans is to create more useful and tailored applications for our users. The first of these, announced […]

]]>Last week we released a new navigation scheme and shared with you our plans for creating a new platform that promises to personalize your oDesk experience and deliver more successful online work relationships. The initial step in these plans is to create more useful and tailored applications for our users. The first of these, announced last week, is oDesk Recruit which combines everything employers need to find, evaluate, and connect with their next remote worker.

Today, we unveil our 2nd application for employers, oDesk’s Manage My Team, which combines everything employers need to monitor work across their teams, manage their team rosters and payroll, and easily communicate and collaborate on current assignments.

This new application comes with a brand new My Contractors hub – one simple control panel to manage all your current remote work. Look for the opt-in link to this new Manage home page from your Team Room to explore this new hub and quickly and easily:

Manage Active Contractors

See your team roster, know who is online and review the latest activity

Quickly see the total amount worked to ensure you’re on budget

Send a message, make a payment, or edit a contract using quick links

Review Payroll

See all weekly hours billed (to date)

Review last week’s timelog & get notified before payment is due

Quickly access all other reports

Get Help

Alerts tell you when a contractor started working, when to review a timelog, and when a payment is pending

Tips and advice help you know what to do each step of they way

And, we’ve still got more to come in the next few weeks with our new navigation. Up next, a new application for contractors to help you grow and manage your remote work career.

We’d like to hear from you. What’s working and what’s not working with our new navigation and our new applications? Visit our community forum post to discuss with other users, or send us direct feedback via our survey (see the link at the top right of the My Contractors page).

]]>https://www.odesk.com/blog/2011/07/manage-home/feed/0A Powerful New oDeskhttps://www.odesk.com/blog/2011/06/new-navigation-part-2/
https://www.odesk.com/blog/2011/06/new-navigation-part-2/#commentsThu, 30 Jun 2011 01:44:29 +0000http://www.odesk.com/blog/?p=16375A little over a month ago we quietly rolled out a Beta of our new site navigation. We’ve received tons of great feedback and it’s now time to let everyone in on our little secret. Starting tomorrow, all active users will see the new oDesk when you log in. We are in the midst of […]

]]>A little over a month ago we quietly rolled out a Beta of our new site navigation. We’ve received tons of great feedback and it’s now time to let everyone in on our little secret.

Starting tomorrow, all active users will see the new oDesk when you log in. We are in the midst of creating a whole new platform on oDesk that allows us to deliver rich, personalized working environments. It’s a new, highly tailored world on oDesk, and we think you’re going to love it – now, and even more in the months to come!

To start, employers and contractors are no longer mixed together and served the same dual-purposed pages. Instead, we have built specific applications for employers and contractors to give you everything you need and nothing you don’t.

Also, team members can be given role-specific permissions. As a manager of others, you can set up your team to only give access to the areas of your oDesk application that workers need to effectively do their jobs. You set who sees what, giving you a whole new level of privacy and control.

And, best of all, this is a platform we can all grow with. As employers and contractors, as teams of one and teams of hundreds, you have unique needs. Rather than a one-size fits all, or a few added features, we will be giving you powerful new applications tailored to your specific work situation.

Today we also launch our first application, oDesk Recruit – a great example of where we’re going with the new platform. oDesk Recruit is designed specifically for employers and gives them everything they need to find, evaluate and connect with their next remote worker. Read more about it here.

Stay tuned for more! In the coming weeks, we’ll be unveiling several more rich applications for contractors, employers, and agencies.

For details on how the new platform is organized, and what’s already available, read our previous announcement.

Have feedback? Visit our community forum post to discuss the new oDesk platofrm with other users, or send us direct feedback via our survey (see the link at the top of every page in the new oDesk).

]]>https://www.odesk.com/blog/2011/06/new-navigation-part-2/feed/0New For Employers – oDesk Recruithttps://www.odesk.com/blog/2011/06/odesk-recruit/
https://www.odesk.com/blog/2011/06/odesk-recruit/#commentsThu, 30 Jun 2011 00:57:27 +0000http://www.odesk.com/blog/?p=16522Today we announced a whole new platform we’re developing to give our users personalized work environments tailored to their specific needs. With this new platform, we are excited to announce the first of our new applications, oDesk Recruit. This application, designed specifically for employers looking to hire, combines everything an employer needs to find, evaluate […]

]]>Today we announced a whole new platform we’re developing to give our users personalized work environments tailored to their specific needs. With this new platform, we are excited to announce the first of our new applications, oDesk Recruit. This application, designed specifically for employers looking to hire, combines everything an employer needs to find, evaluate and connect with their next remote worker.

oDesk Recruit offers employers a brand new hub – a kind of command central for all your hiring needs. Everything you need on one, simple page to make finding your next contractor simple and effective:

Manage active jobs

Get vital information at a glance, e.g., see when you have new applicants and messages awaiting your response.

Take action on your job with links to edit your post, make it private or public, or close it.

Find contractors

Post a new job

Start a new search

Access your saved contractor list (yes, this is now easy to find!)

Get Help

Helpful alerts when you need to take action on your account

Relevant tips to make a great remote hire

And, this is just the beginning. Coming very soon, we’re launching a new work management application to help employers more easily manage your work and stay in touch with your team. And, for contractors, we’ve got something in store for you too! Look for the first contractor specific application, launching in the next few weeks. It’s designed to help you more effectively manage your career and find your next great work opportunity.

Have feedback? Visit our community forum post to discuss oDesk Recruit with other users, or send us direct feedback via our survey (see the link at the top of every page in the new oDesk)

]]>https://www.odesk.com/blog/2011/06/odesk-recruit/feed/0Know what’s happening on your job – an improved Work Diaryhttps://www.odesk.com/blog/2011/06/know-whats-happening-on-your-job-an-improved-work-diary/
https://www.odesk.com/blog/2011/06/know-whats-happening-on-your-job-an-improved-work-diary/#commentsTue, 28 Jun 2011 21:12:44 +0000http://www.odesk.com/blog/?p=16350The Work Diary is a critical tool used by employers and contractors alike to understand and literally see what work is being done. Experience has shown – those who regularly review the Work Diary have fewer surprises and are happier with the work they get done. Yesterday, we released an enhanced Work Diary making it […]

]]>The Work Diary is a critical tool used by employers and contractors alike to understand and literally see what work is being done. Experience has shown – those who regularly review the Work Diary have fewer surprises and are happier with the work they get done.

Yesterday, we released an enhanced Work Diary making it even easier to track work being done and stay in lock step with your team.

Bigger snapshots
We know, those little snapshots are hard to view and clicking to see the full screen version takes time. Now, simply hover over a snapshot to see a larger view with additional activity information.

Clearer blocks of time
Memos now span across time segments, quickly showing you how time is being spent. All non-working time segments are left empty to make the important working hours easier to read.

Calendar with clear activity markers
Quickly see what days had time billed and know where to drill down.

Clearer time categories
Bolder formatting makes it easier to differentiate between each category of time to be reviewed. Please note, we’ve also simplified the terms we use for each category of time:

Auto-tracked time (green): Logged through the oDesk Team application, containing snapshots and activity levels. Subject to the oDesk Guarantee.

Manual time (yellow): Entered manually in the Work Diary. As always, this time in not covered by the oDesk Guarantee.

Over Weekly Limit time (brown): Not billed. See Overtime alerts feature below.

New preferences
Choose to view window titles for more information on applications being used.

Overtime alerts
You get alerted at the top of the Work Diary if any time during the week goes over your weekly limit. Hours over the weekly limit are not billed, but employers and contractors should discuss why time went over the limit, whether a bonus is warranted for the extra hours worked, and whether a higher weekly limit is needed or hours need to be cut back.

Check out the new Work Diary today! It’s a highly effective tool to see when and what work is being done, and to signal when you need to check in for an update with your team. Please visit our forum post if you have any feedback or questions.

]]>https://www.odesk.com/blog/2011/06/know-whats-happening-on-your-job-an-improved-work-diary/feed/1BYOC: Bring your own contractorhttps://www.odesk.com/blog/2011/06/byoc-bring-your-own-contractor/
https://www.odesk.com/blog/2011/06/byoc-bring-your-own-contractor/#commentsThu, 23 Jun 2011 17:53:27 +0000http://www.odesk.com/blog/?p=16324New! Bring your own contractors onto oDesk & manage everyone on one platform. oDesk has made it quick and easy to bring any contractor you work with onto oDesk. Manage all your contractors in one place Only pay for hours worked with the oDesk Work Diary and Work Guarantee. Automated payments to contractors anywhere in the […]

]]>https://www.odesk.com/blog/2011/06/byoc-bring-your-own-contractor/feed/2Our New Navigation – A simpler, faster way to use oDesk.https://www.odesk.com/blog/2011/05/new-navigation/
https://www.odesk.com/blog/2011/05/new-navigation/#commentsThu, 19 May 2011 01:18:54 +0000http://www.odesk.com/blog/?p=15644We know you are busy building businesses and taking on challenging work from all over the world. You need a site that can keep up with you! Starting today, oDesk is sporting a new design and simplified navigation. The new look is simpler, less cluttered, and makes working with oDesk faster and easier than ever before.

Over the next few days, we will be rolling out a simplified navigation. The new look is simpler, less cluttered, and makes working with oDesk faster and easier than ever before.

We know you are busy building businesses and taking on challenging work from all over the world. You need a site that can keep up with you! Now you’ll find that:

The site is organized around major task areas (e.g., recruiting or managing a team for employers; finding work or managing your jobs for contractors.)

The things you use most often are now easily accessible.

You get instant views into new messages and notifications.

To see the new navigation for yourself, log in and look for the “New Navigation” link at the top of the page. If you don’t see it right away, don’t worry. To ensure everything runs smoothly, we’re turning this on for all users over the next few days.

This has been in the works for many months and we want to thank all our beta users for your incredible feedback and support . With your help, we were able to quickly iterate on the design and create a new version of oDesk that is better organized, more intuitive, and really slick to use!

Please note, the new navigation is currently optional. We wanted to give you a chance to explore the new site on your own time, but we think you’re going to find it an overall easier way to work on oDesk. If something about the new navigation isn’t easier for you, we want to hear about it. Look for the “Share Feedback” link at the top of every page in the new navigation — we’ll be using your input to iterate and continually improve the site.

You’ll also see us adding new functionality and updating many other pages in the weeks and months to come – including some new landing pages that will display for each critical task area the most vital information at a glance.

Have questions? Get more details for Contractors and Employers, including FAQs and a “Where Is. . .” directory.

Have feedback? Visit our community forum post to discuss with other users, or send direct feedback via our survey (see the link at the top of every page in the new navigation).

]]>https://www.odesk.com/blog/2011/05/new-navigation/feed/4oDesk increases security with full encrypted sitehttps://www.odesk.com/blog/2011/03/odesk-increases-security-with-full-encrypted-site/
https://www.odesk.com/blog/2011/03/odesk-increases-security-with-full-encrypted-site/#commentsThu, 31 Mar 2011 04:28:19 +0000http://www.odesk.com/blog/?p=15030Starting today, we have enabled HTTPS across the entire oDesk site, giving our users an extra layer of security. Our logged in pages were already fully encrypted, and thus your logged in sessions have always maintained a significant level of privacy. But, as people spend more time on the Internet, many banking and e-commerce sites […]

Starting today, we have enabled HTTPS across the entire oDesk site, giving our users an extra layer of security. Our logged in pages were already fully encrypted, and thus your logged in sessions have always maintained a significant level of privacy. But, as people spend more time on the Internet, many banking and e-commerce sites are adding SSL encryption across their sites – both logged in and non logged in pages – as a standard practice. We too want to ensure our users have the highest level of protections available across our entire site.

To use the new fully encrypted HTTPS wide site, just go to www.odesk.com as you normally would. We will default you to our new full HTTPS site.

For more information on HTTPS, see the “HTTP Secure” article on Wikipedia for complete details. Basically, HTTPS is a protocol that establishes a secure connection between your browser and our servers. In contrast, HTTP is unsecured and is subject to man-in-the-middle and eavesdropping attacks which can let attackers gain access to website accounts and sensitive information. HTTPS is designed to withstand such attacks and is considered secure against such attacks.

Special information for API users. All of our public APIs are currently available over HTTPS. To start using the HTTPS versions, please just update your app to use HTTPS rather than HTTP.

Special information for Internet Explorer Users (IE 7 & IE 8). We are aware of a Security Warning box that appears when you land on one of the contractor search or contractor profile pages. This is not actually a security issue and you are safe to view the oDesk pages. We have made these changes specifically to improve security. We will be fixing this issue over the next 24 to 48 hours. In the meantime we recommend using Firefox or Chrome as your browser. Or, you can disable this warning message in IE by going to the Tools menu, selecting Internet Options, and clicking the Security tab. Select Custom level, and scroll down half way to “Display mixed content” and change the button to Enable.

]]>https://www.odesk.com/blog/2011/03/odesk-increases-security-with-full-encrypted-site/feed/7Contractors: Update your Profile Categories by February 28th!https://www.odesk.com/blog/2010/12/category-selection/
https://www.odesk.com/blog/2010/12/category-selection/#commentsSat, 01 Jan 2011 04:03:32 +0000http://www.odesk.com/blog/?p=14041Employers come to oDesk to find and work with the best contractors from all over the world. For this to work, employers need to be able to easily find contractors who have the specific skills and interests that match their needs. To improve this matching process, we are updating the way contractors select their profile […]

]]>Employers come to oDesk to find and work with the best contractors from all over the world. For this to work, employers need to be able to easily find contractors who have the specific skills and interests that match their needs. To improve this matching process, we are updating the way contractors select their profile categories to allow contractors to stand out in the areas they are most qualified.

What’s changing?

Starting today, contractors will be able to choose up to 10 sub-categories that best reflect their professional experience. This is a change from the current system in which contractors can choose an unlimited number of categories and sub-categories.

Take Action Before February 28, 2011

You have until February 28, 2011 to update your profile categories and select up to 10 sub-categories:

Only select sub-categories where you have expertise.

Starting March 1st, if you have more than 10 sub-categories selected, we will automatically update your sub-categories to select up to 10 based on the job categories in which you have applied to the most.

Why is this good for contractors?

We’ve found that contractors who specialize in a few types of work are able to command higher wages and better establish long-term relationships with their employers. Specializing in the sub-categories where you have expertise will help your profile better stand out from the competition. Employers will have an easier time finding the contractors who match their needs, which means better hires and more successful working relationships — and that’s good for everyone!

Keep in mind, this does not change what jobs you can apply to. You should only apply to jobs you are qualified for, but this change in profile categories will not limit which jobs you can apply to.

]]>https://www.odesk.com/blog/2010/12/category-selection/feed/2A Better Way to Review, Connect with and Hire Your Next Contractorhttps://www.odesk.com/blog/2010/09/new-applicant-tracking/
https://www.odesk.com/blog/2010/09/new-applicant-tracking/#commentsThu, 23 Sep 2010 03:45:38 +0000http://www.odesk.com/blog/?p=13209After you post a job on oDesk, you want to evaluate applications and make a great hire - quickly and easily. We have introduced new applicant tracking tools to help you do just that!

]]>After you post a job on oDesk, you want to evaluate applications and make a great hire – quickly and easily. We have introduced new applicant tracking tools to help you do just that!

No more hunting for interview threads. All messages between you and your applicants are now embedded in the candidate detail page. Review the applicant’s cover letter and profile, read incoming messages and reply to them – all in one place.

New negotiation tool. Get to an agreement fast with contractors you wish to hire. Easily propose a new hourly rate, weekly salary or other terms. No back and forth messages – just a simple offer screen.

Views to easily manage your applicants. Separate tabs for candidates who have applied and those you have begun interviewing. Declined applicants are also kept out of your way in their own tab.

More responsive interface. You’ll notice significantly faster performance, allowing you to zip through the hiring process faster than ever.

Building your own global dream team of top contractors at reasonable rates is what oDesk is all about. Our new applicant tracking tools are one more way we help you to easily leverage the power of remote work. Check out the new tools and let us know what you think! Post comments to our community forum.

Quickly see an applicant’s cover letter, experience and qualifications.

Send messages, hire, offer new terms, or decline a candidate. . . all from one page!

]]>https://www.odesk.com/blog/2010/09/new-applicant-tracking/feed/1Giving you more control over emailhttps://www.odesk.com/blog/2010/07/email-preferences/
https://www.odesk.com/blog/2010/07/email-preferences/#commentsThu, 08 Jul 2010 04:59:16 +0000http://www.odesk.com/blog/?p=12535We’ve released a new version of our Email Preferences page, giving you even more control over the communications you receive from oDesk. We know you’re busy. Our emails are designed to give you pertinent information and allow you to take action as efficiently as possible. However, if you manage a large remote team or are […]

]]>We’ve released a new version of our Email Preferences page, giving you even more control over the communications you receive from oDesk.

We know you’re busy. Our emails are designed to give you pertinent information and allow you to take action as efficiently as possible. However, if you manage a large remote team or are hiring for many positions, and you already sign into your oDesk account multiple times a day, some of these emails may be redundant. You now have more options for managing the emails you receive:

Go directly to the Email Preferences page within your Message Center and select the emails you no longer wish to receive. Individual emails are listed by category, such as job applications, contracts, etc.

oDesk emails contain a link in the footer to manage your email preferences. Clicking these links takes you to your preferences where the email type you clicked will be called out.

Keep in mind, some emails are not optional, such as those alerting you that your password has changed and other security related communications.

]]>https://www.odesk.com/blog/2010/07/email-preferences/feed/15New design for job postshttps://www.odesk.com/blog/2010/06/new-design-for-job-posts/
https://www.odesk.com/blog/2010/06/new-design-for-job-posts/#commentsThu, 24 Jun 2010 17:06:06 +0000http://www.odesk.com/blog/?p=12400The next time you look for a job or post a new job, check out the new job description page. Our designers have been hard at work revamping this page. They’ve cleaned it up, given it a fresh new look, and highlighted the key information you need. For providers, it’s now easier to determine whether […]

]]>The next time you look for a job or post a new job, check out the new job description page. Our designers have been hard at work revamping this page. They’ve cleaned it up, given it a fresh new look, and highlighted the key information you need. For providers, it’s now easier to determine whether a particular job is a good fit for you. For buyers, you can now use this page to easily update your open job posts.

For providers:

Right up top – see the job description, skills required and preferred qualifications

Check the job status, including when the buyer last viewed the job, # of applicants and # interviewing

Quickly see if you’ve already applied to the job

Review the buyer’s work history and other open jobs

For buyers, you can now use this job description page to manage your open jobs posts – make edits, repost, make the job private to stop receiving applications, or close the job once it’s filled. Keep in mind, to manage active assignments, you should go to the assignment detail page.

]]>https://www.odesk.com/blog/2010/06/new-design-for-job-posts/feed/14Find providers fast & changes to job application quotashttps://www.odesk.com/blog/2010/06/find-providers-fast-changes-to-job-application-quotas/
https://www.odesk.com/blog/2010/06/find-providers-fast-changes-to-job-application-quotas/#commentsFri, 18 Jun 2010 04:36:16 +0000http://www.odesk.com/blog/?p=12336This week we have two enhancements to the oDesk service to tell you about. Both of these changes will create a speedier site – something many of our users have been asking for! Faster, more interactive provider search results We’ve made looking for providers easier and faster, helping buyers find the talent they need and […]

Provider search listings will look different and we know change can be jarring. But, we’re confident these changes will make it easier for buyers to find providers. We are always working to improve the experience for all of our users. Check out the new provider search results now. If you have feedback on these changes, we’d love to hear it! Visit our Community Forum.

Job application quotas to refresh twice daily

Starting today, providers will see a change in how often job application quotas are increased.

Currently, when one of your job applications becomes inactive (you are hired, or your application expires, is withdrawn or is rejected), your quota is increased immediately. This real-time updating encourages job application spamming and is causing our systems to run very slowly. To increase system speed for all users, and reduce the amount of job spamming, increases to your quota will now occur twice per day. This means that when one of your job applications becomes inactive, it may take up to 12 hours before you see your quota increase.

]]>https://www.odesk.com/blog/2010/06/find-providers-fast-changes-to-job-application-quotas/feed/2Quality Health Insurance for Contractors, Job Seekers and Entrepreneurshttps://www.odesk.com/blog/2010/06/quality-health-insurance-for-contractors-job-seekers-and-entrepreneurs/
https://www.odesk.com/blog/2010/06/quality-health-insurance-for-contractors-job-seekers-and-entrepreneurs/#commentsTue, 15 Jun 2010 05:45:41 +0000http://www.odesk.com/blog/?p=12243Being an independent contractor comes with a lot of benefits, including the freedom to work when and where you want. Until now, those benefits didn’t usually include affordable health insurance options. But, that all changes today. oDesk is now making health insurance available to all of our U.S.-based users. On behalf of our members, we […]

]]>Being an independent contractor comes with a lot of benefits, including the freedom to work when and where you want. Until now, those benefits didn’t usually include affordable health insurance options.

But, that all changes today. oDesk is now making health insurance available to all of our U.S.-based users. On behalf of our members, we have negotiated pricing, plan offerings and a streamlined approval process that outstrip other plans generally available to individuals.

“By providing access to health coverage options, we’re lowering a key barrier faced by many people that aspire to the freelance lifestyle, and enabling them to focus on building successful careers.” – Gary Swart, oDesk CEO

Wellness plan – day-to-day health care plan with guaranteed issuance, low deductible and up to an annual maximum benefit of $20,000 including hospitalization.

Catastrophic plan – coverage for major medical care, including hospitalization with an annual maximum benefit of $1 Million

Comprehensive plan – combine the Wellness and Catastrophic plans to get comprehensive coverage.

Life insurance with critical illness coverage is also available with no physical exam as an additional option on any of the 3 offered plans.

oDesk is committed to supporting both companies and individuals in the new, emerging “contract economy”. Access to affordable, quality health insurance is an important ingredient to building successful, long-term contract careers, and we’re proud to be taking the lead in offering these types of benefits options to our users.

You can read about the plans at http://www.odesk.com/benefits or you can call 888-895-2440 to speak directly with a benefits consultant (available 8am to 6pm PDT).

Got feedback for us on the plans? Leave your thoughts in the comments below, or share them with our Community!

]]>https://www.odesk.com/blog/2010/06/quality-health-insurance-for-contractors-job-seekers-and-entrepreneurs/feed/13New Community Site and Help Centerhttps://www.odesk.com/blog/2010/06/new-community-site-and-help-center/
https://www.odesk.com/blog/2010/06/new-community-site-and-help-center/#commentsFri, 11 Jun 2010 22:53:18 +0000http://www.odesk.com/blog/?p=12138You may have noticed that we recently unveiled a new & improved Community site and Help Center, making it easier to interact with the oDesk community and find answers to your questions.

]]>You may have noticed that we recently unveiled a new & improved Community site and Help Center, making it easier to interact with the oDesk community and find answers to your questions. Here’s what’s new:

All community feedback in one place

We have turned off the UserVoice site and are collecting all feedback through our Community Forums.

We take your feedback very seriously – it allows us to continuously improve oDesk. By consolidating feedback into one place, and ensuring feedback comes from registered oDesk users, we can better identify the needs of the whole oDesk community and respond to you in a faster, more personalized way.

We have kept all the UserVoice feedback and are using it to improve our services. Keep the suggestions and questions coming in our Feedback Forum.

Community gets a makeover

A cleaner, updated look! We’ve reduced the clutter and made it easier to find forums that interest you. Also:

Quick access to our blogs with tips & advice for succeeding online.

Look for a new “Release Notes” blog coming soon!

New Help Center

A snazzier Help Center to find answers fast.

Top questions listed for both buyers and providers.

One click away from Customer Support.

Have feedback on these enhancements? Share your thoughts in the NEW! Community Feedback Forum.

]]>https://www.odesk.com/blog/2010/06/new-community-site-and-help-center/feed/2New and Improved Reports Make Managing Work Easierhttps://www.odesk.com/blog/2010/06/new-and-improved-reports/
https://www.odesk.com/blog/2010/06/new-and-improved-reports/#commentsThu, 10 Jun 2010 06:25:53 +0000http://www.odesk.com/blog/?p=12184Buyers, providers and staffing managers now have access to our new suite of reports that make managing your work life easier. We’ve added the most requested reports, made them easier to read, provided both summary and detailed views, and made it possible to select the specific date range you need. For Buyers: Customized reports to […]

]]>Buyers, providers and staffing managers now have access to our new suite of reports that make managing your work life easier. We’ve added the most requested reports, made them easier to read, provided both summary and detailed views, and made it possible to select the specific date range you need.

For Buyers:

Customized reports to track the providers, teams and time periods you choose

Easy to read dashboards with summaries by provider, task or memo

Linked reports allow you to drill down into individual work diaries

For Providers:

Easier to read weekly timesheet showing hours by buyer

Detailed report listing daily hours and memos for any time period you choose

Still Available – Time Analyze – a configurable report to track hours or earnings

For Affiliate Managers:

Easier to read reports with summary and detailed views

Weekly timesheets to track total time and earnings by provider or buyer

Detailed reports showing work completed by memo for any time period you choose

Check out the Reports Center today to find out how much easier it can be to manage your work!

Have feedback about the new reports? Please go to the Community Forum to leave your comments.

]]>https://www.odesk.com/blog/2010/06/new-and-improved-reports/feed/3A Better Way to Manage your Job Applicationshttps://www.odesk.com/blog/2010/05/job-applications/
https://www.odesk.com/blog/2010/05/job-applications/#commentsThu, 27 May 2010 04:52:03 +0000http://www.odesk.com/blog/?p=12016Applying and interviewing for jobs just got faster and easier under the new “Job Applications.” No more hunting for interview threads! Your communications with the buyer are now embedded in the new Job Application page. Reply to buyers, ask questions and view the job description all in one place. Easily manage your job applications. Quickly reply […]

]]>Applying and interviewing for jobs just got faster and easier under the new “Job Applications.”

No more hunting for interview threads! Your communications with the buyer are now embedded in the new Job Application page. Reply to buyers, ask questions and view the job description all in one place.

More responsive interface. We’ve fine-tuned it for faster performance.

This is just the beginning. Look out for even more improvements over the next couple of months. In the meantime, if you have feedback or suggestions regarding the new Job Applications, please share them in the community forum.